The search is still on for the next Arsenal manager, who will replace Unai Emery that the club board had sacked recently. Supposedly on strong consideration at the moment are Carlo Ancelotti, who himself was fired by Serie A club Napoli, and Mikel Arteta, currently working as an assistant to Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.
Now taking charge at the Emirates is Freddie Ljungberg, who was appointed in an interim capacity by the Arsenal board. Reports said the club has listed Ljungberg as among the top candidates the continued disappointments in the past few games might prove difficult for the Swiss to get a permanent appointment.
Ancelotti came into view following the abrupt end of his spell at Napoli, which has been struggling in the domestic competition.
According to ESPN, Arsenal intends to interview more candidates and will likely omit the 60-year-old from those already shortlisted. The report said that while Ancelotti has an advantage for having coached football giants and winning titles in his illustrious career, the Gunners board is unconvinced he is up to the job.
"Ancelotti does not fit the profile of manager Arsenal is looking for, while they are not convinced by his most recent experiences," the ESPN report stated.
In hiring the Italian, Arsenal is worried about Ancelotti's performance running Bayern Munich and Napoli as both teams ended up firing the coach, unceremoniously. Under Ancelotti's charge, the two teams fared poorly in the Champions League.
In light of this hesitation, the spotlight is next trained on Arteta, who ended his playing career with Arsenal.
Metro said Arteta has earned the blessings of Guardiola to manage his own team and has himself expressed willingness to take on the job should a formal offer come his way. However, the former Gunners captain will want to seek first clarifications from the club on two points.
The Spaniard would want to clear out the exact details of the forthcoming job offer and in the process would need assurance from the board, which likely pertains to some form of job security.
Also, the report indicated that Arteta is curious about the immediate and long-term plans by Arsenal and would like to be brief on the matter before moving on to serious negotiations.
In any case, the former Gunner seemed thorn between leaving City and grabbing the opportunity of managing his own club. Metro said that while Guardiola is supportive of Arteta's professional advancement, he is equally sad at the specter of them parting ways.
It is believed Guardiola is grooming Arteta as his successor when the time comes for him to exit City.
